Harnessing the Power of If: The Six Habits of Innovative People (?What if!) - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Dave Allan co--founded ?What If! in 1992 with Matt Kingdon. Prior to that Dave helped set up the European innovation process of Unilever subsidiary Lever Brothers. He has led over 100 innovation projects which have helped inspire ?What If!'s tools of creative thinking. Matt Kingdon marketed Unilever brands in the UK and Thailand. His focus was new product development. Latterly he was responsible for the introduction of Unilever's brand portfolio in various emerging markets around the world. He has designed and facilitated breakthrough creative workshops in numerous categories and countries. Kristina Murrin studied Psychology at Cambridge University and later whilst at Procter and Gamble in the UK and USA explored what makes some managers more creative than others. She joined ?What If! in 1994 and led the development of ?What If!'s creative training programmes. Daz Rudkin joined ?What If! from Unilever in 1994 where he worked as a marketer and led organisational change projects. He now leads a team of consultants researching and advising on innovation culture around the world.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

?What If! ?you really knew how to organise creativity at work ? not just talk about the need for it? ?What If! ?the answer was to change the way you behave ? not the way you think? ?What If! ?you started a creative revolution at work now!

"I loved this book. The behaviours and values that? What If! so clearly express are ones which we should all aspire to?read it." Jerry Greenfield Co-founder Ben & Jerry?s Ice Cream

"A must read! Finally a book that captures the REAL essence of what creativity at work looks like.? What If! has opened the door to a revolutionary way of thinking and doing! If you? ve been searching for answers on how to create the cutting edge ideas that set you apart from the competition?this book is the answer! Rita Bailey Director, Southwest Airlines University for People

"I started to read? What If! on holiday together with Bill Bryson?s Notes from a Small Island. ?What If! won hands down for entertainment and value and every page seemed to strike a chord. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand why their organization is not creative, why that?s important and what can be done to grow creativity." Michael Bichard Permanent UK Undersecretary of State for Education and Employment

"We can all recognise and appreciate creativity when we admire the finished article, but oh how difficult it is with a blank sheet of paper! This book sets out strategies that really work to get from A to B." John Coombs Marketing Director, Unilever

"A really practical book of tried and tested techniques to turn the switch of creative thinking on instead of off." Sir John Harvey Jones

Aus dem Klappentext

?What If! ?you could spot what?s killing creativity in your organization right now? ?What If! ?you could stop yourself squashing ideas and start growing them instead? ?What If!?you could shift the ability to be creative to everyone in your organization? ?What If! ?you stopped talking about how important creativity is and started to take practical steps to make it happen. But most of all? ?What If! ?there was a step-by-step guide that showed you exactly how to do it? Instinctively we all know that creativity at work is important. but for many of us it feels either difficult or intimidating. ?What If!: How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work delivers powerful insights that take creativity out of the hands of ?creative people? and put it back where it belongs, with all of us. It breaks creativity out into six practical behaviours and shows how every one of us ? not just the wacky geniuses ? is packed with creative potential. We can start the ?What If! creative revolution by adopting six specific behaviours:

• Freshness
• Greenhousing
• Realness
• Momentum
• Signalling
• Bravery

These are the behaviours the authors have identified in highly creative and high-performing teams. These are the behaviours that you can start applying today to revolutionize your life. Suddenly creativity isn?t such a mystery ? ? What If! makes it easy to talk about, easy to practice and easy to measure. Above all, it makes it easy to get on and do! The authors of ?What If!: How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work are the four partners of an inventing company. ?What If!. which works with organizations to recapture their inventive spirit. Since 1992 ?What If! has helped to shape the cultures of some of the world?s biggest, fastest growing and most profitable organizations. ?What If! has worked with clients to invent new airports, beers, stores, toys, holidays, shampoos and mortgages. All ?What If! partners live in London. UK. Illustrations by Christopher Brown, MA. Christopher has worked for clients as diverse as the Financial Times and Cosmopolitan magazine. His illustrations have won numerous awards.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Doing It. Not talking about it

This book is about starting a creative revolution at work. But what sort of revolution?

Instinctively, we all know creativity at work is important. If creativity sees the commercial light of day, if it actually happens, that's innovation. And to most of us innovation means growth. To some extent, then, all our business futures depend on our ability to be creative at work.

Important stuff, but hardly new. We've been told about the need for innovation - about the need for a creative revolution - for years now. Not just in the press. Chairmen and CEOs regularly extol the virtues of innovation. For shareholders it's a message that falls on eager ears. What's missing in most cases is the practical follow-through. Companies keep talking about the 'why we need it' without the 'how are we going to do it?'

Why is this? Most businesspeople accept that innovation (and so creativity) is 'important', but it's rarely classified as 'urgent'. The bottom line benefits of a creative act may not be felt for one, two or even three years. This does not easily fit the short-term focus of modern business. Moreover, creativity is one of those 'easy to talk about but hard to do' activities. It can be intimidating. Many people put it on a pedestal. They shake their heads and say 'it's not for them'.

There are other convenient reasons not to engage with the practical nuts and bolts of creativity There is always something else potentially more pressing. 'I need to get the core business sorted before I can even think about creativity' 'If only I could recruit more people.' 'If only I had more funds.' 'I need more time to think.'